Common Misconceptions In Teen Dating Violence

809 Words2 Pages

Common Misconceptions in Teen Dating Violence

This lesson discusses the topic of teen dating violence and the misconceptions people believe about the practice. The term '~dating violence~' is defined and many different myths are discussed and outlined as to why there are misconceptions.

Make People See the Truth

People are going to believe what they want to believe and there is no way to make them see logic. If this were true, then what would be the rationale for ever making an argument? Of course, people have opinions, but that doesn't mean that they're right. It's unfortunate that many people minimize the dangers of obvious dating violence (physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse that occurs during a dating relationship), but their …show more content…

However, teens are more prone to believing the myths that they concoct or hear from others due to their relative dating inexperience. These are misconceptions that both teens and their parents need to be aware of.

It really doesn't happen very often: the sad fact is that approximately one third of teenage girls have experienced some form of violence from their partner (either verbal, emotional or physical abuse).
The 'violence' isn't really all that bad: In about 20% of cases, abuse escalated to physical and sexual abuse. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also notes that an individual who experiences dating violence during high school is about twice as likely to face the same scenario later on.
Substance use will cause a person to be violent: the fact is that no substance will 'cause' a person to do anything. The responsibility remains with the abuser and not the substance. Just because you experienced violence when a boyfriend or girlfriend was drunk, doesn't mean that they won't do the same when they are sober.
Violence only occurs when the partner 'asks for it': the victim is not in control of the abuse. It doesn't matter what has occurred prior to the violence, the abuser has control of their own actions. The victim is not responsible for their partner's …show more content…

As many as 80% of teenage women who have been abused in a relationship will stay with their partner. The victim may feel sympathy for their abuser, have low self-esteem, or believe that if they try to leave the relationship the violence will get worse. There are many reasons people stay, and they may need help from friends, family or a counselor to leave a violent situation.
It was a one-time deal: while the abuse may only happen once, there is definitely no guarantee of that. An individual who is violent one time will very likely be violent again. It is a pattern that is difficult to

Open Document